Posts tagged “rises”

Just as word began to spread of The Dark Knight Rises successfully reaching the 1 billion dollar mark, The Avengers has knocked it out of the spotlight by hitting 1.5 billion dollars.

After being re-released in American cinemas for the Labor Day weekend, The Avengers added another 620 million dollars to their domestic intake. This pushed there total profits to around 1.502 billion dollars worldwide, which means that The Avengers is now the third highest grossing movie of all time. Ahead of The Avengers are The Titanic and Avatar, both made by James Cameron. Though inflated ticket prices and the cost of 3D now mean that fewer tickets have to be sold to reach such high figures.

Will Batman be able to overtake The Avengers before he leaves cinemas or will he need to be re-released to catch up with the superhero team? Only time will tell, but he does have a lot of making up to do to knock them off the number three spot. Maybe if they had converted to 3D they’d be closer contenders, though personally I’m glad they didn’t. What do you think? Would you like to see The Dark Knight Rises come back to cinemas in a couple of months? Do you think it should have been done in 3D? Let me know by voting and leaving a comment below. Also, don’t forget to subscribe and click the like button.

It’s been a long wait, and a lot of hype, but The Dark Knight Rises is about to land in cinemas, on the 20th of July. Is it possible for the movie to meet the high expectations of the fans?

The Dark Knight Rises picks up Eight years after the events of The Dark Knight, which is a little confusing at first because some important things have happened in those years. Batman taking the blame for the crimes, and death, of Harvey Dent has brought about significant change as a new law, inspired by Dent, has given police the power they needed to take Gotham back from the criminals. With the mob finally behind bars, Gotham no longer needed Batman. This lack of purpose and the loss of Rachel have turned Bruce Wayne into a recluse. However, the threat of new evil is enough to shake Batman out of retirement.

Anne Hathaway had an extremely challenging role. There have been so many great portrayals of Catwoman over the years and she managed to surpass them all. This version of Catwoman is tough, independent, layered and sexy without being ridiculously over sexualised. Without a doubt she was the right person for the job. She was given a really interesting character to play and she did it justice in a way that nobody thought she could. It’s easy to forget who is actually playing the part and get lost in the character, which proves just how great an actress Hathaway really is.

Selina Kyle is a great character, with a rich history and it was really nice to have this history explored but not thrown in your face. The Selina shown in this film is the finished product. You can see what she does and who she is, but not how she got there. This may not sound like a good thing, but it really is. How often do people sit you down and explain why they are the way they are? It doesn’t happen. It’s clear the character has been through a lot and has had a troubled past. In fact, escaping that past is a huge motivating factor for her.

Bane has never really been done justice on film before so Tom Hardy didn’t have as much to live up to in that respect, but he’s still playing the man who broke the bat which is a pretty big deal in the comic world. While it was sometimes hard to understand him, it didn’t really hurt the performance. To keep the film grounded in reality some changes were made to the character, though they didn’t seem necessary they provided a deeper, more emotional reason for why Bane fights. As a villain he is very direct and calculated, while also showing no remorse for his actions. He is pure brute force.

In the comics, Bane has such an interesting backstory and fans may be disappointed to see that it has been changed somewhat. The alterations feel largely unnecessary as it seems like there were many other ways they could have made the same point without messing around with his history. However, the edits do provide some twists and turns while also giving fans of the comics something new.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Marion Cotillard, who both starred in Christopher Nolan’s Inception, are new to the Batman universe. Levitt plays orphan turned police officer, John Blake, and Marion Cotillard plays Wayne Enterprises board member, Miranda Tate. Both do a really great job with their characters, proving once again that Nolan has a keen eye for casting the right people. While Miranda Tate helps bring Bruce Wayne, played once again by Christian Bale, out of is reclusive state and back to Wayne Enterprises, John Blake works with Commissioner Gordon and Batman to try bring down Bane. Blake’s ideals sever to highlight those that both Bruce Wayne and Commissioner Gordon once had but have now lost.

Though the film’s long running time, of just under three hours, may be challenging on the bladders of those who ordered the extra-large drink, ever second is necessary to the development of the characters and the story. This is not a brainless action film it has depth, social commentary and extremely interesting characters. The series is brought to an amazing conclusion that should leave fans feeling fulfilled, but, at the same time, little sad as it still feels like there is so much life left in the franchise.

What do you think? Are you a Batman fan? Do you like Christopher Nolan’s take on Batman? Which is your favourite film in Nolan’s franchise? Let me know by voting and leaving a comment below, also don’t forget to click the like button, if you liked this post, and please subscribe.

If you’re a Batman fan and you were walking around Dublin today then you may have hit the jackpot as the Tumbler and Bat-Pod from the upcoming movie, The Dark Knight Rises, were on display to celebrate the film’s release in just ten days.

Whether or not you made it in to see them, here are some interesting facts about the Tumbler and Bat-Pod that fans of Nolan’s Batman franchise may find interesting;

The Tumbler/Batmobile

●The Batmobile has not been changed since it was introduced in the first film in the series, Batman Begins. However, in The Dark Knight Rises, a number of tumblers make an appearance in their original camouflage colours.

●There are three different types of camouflage tumbler, one with a swivelling turret gun, one with a guided missile launcher and one with a gun.

●The Batmobile was designed by Christopher Nolan and Production Designer Nathan Crowley in the filmmaker’s garage in Los Angeles. They made a prototype of their design by sticking toy cars together. The final prototype was a combination of a Lamborghini and a hummer.

●The tumbler name comes from its military history due to its ability to jump and tumble.

●The car has no front axle. This is because Nolan wanted the wheels to be held from the side, which, at first, was believed to be impossible. Eventually, Special Effects Supervisor Chris Corbould and Workshop Supervisor Andy Smith found a way to make side-mounted wheels work.

●Everything on the Batmobile has been built from scratch. This means that it was not made by customising existing vehicles.

●The Batmobile has six wheels – two in the front and four at the back, which are monster truck tires. Three different sets of tires with varying amounts of tread were created so that stunt driver George Cottle could decide how much skid power he required at any one time.

●The vehicle can jump six feet in height and has jumped a distance of 60 feet.

●Its top speed is 105 miles per hour and acceleration is 0-60 in five seconds

The Bat-Pod

●The Bat-Pod design is the same as it was in The Dark Knight.

●The Bat-Pod is designed and developed to give Batman a swifter mode of travel around Gotham City streets. Just like the Batmobile it is built to handle different terrains and is equipped with numerous weapons.

●The tires are identical to those on the Batmobile.

●The entire weight of the Bat-Pod is 730 lbs.

●The bike is designed so that the rider can stay level at all times, even when the bike is tilting.

●It can go as fast as the Batmobile.

●It’s a self-righting bike, which means it can stay upright without a foot stand.

●Every element of the Bat-Pod has a designated function; nothing exists for aesthetic purposes only.

Which would you prefer to drive home in? Let me know by voting and leaving a comment below. Also, don’t forget to click the like button and subscribe.

In just one month, and one day, The Dark Knight Rises will hit cinemas and the world will finally know whether or not it was worth the hype. Still, a month and a day is an awful long time to wait for us impatient movie goers so lucky there is another trailer revealing even more info about the upcoming film.

Hopefully they stop releasing clips and trailers before we know everything there is to know about the film. In the first clip we get to see some cool Bane on Batman action, but the second video, which is more of a trailer, shows that Bane know that Bruce Wayne and Batman are one in the same. He shows his knowledge not by unmasking Batman, but by simply referring to him as Bruce Wayne. Obviously there will probably be some kind of big unmasking, but I’m hoping that we don’t get to see that scene until the cinema trip.

Check out the videos below and let me know what you think by voting and leaving a comment.

More footage from The Dark Knight Rises was shown at this year’s MTV Movie Awards.

It begins with a scene in which Selina Kyle, Anne Hathaway, is being interrogated by John Blake, Joseph Gordon-Levitt. After this we get to see a variety of other shots from the film, the most interesting, in my eyes, is what appears to be the Lazarus Pit.

In the comic books, the Lazarus Pit is used by Ra’s al Ghul, who is set to appear in the film, as a way to heal otherwise fatal injuries. However, using the Lazarus Pit comes at a cost; it has a nasty side effect of turning people insane. Since Bane is the man who broke the bat, the Lazarus Pit could potentially be used to heal Bruce Wayne’s back. They may even not included the side effect in the film, but there have been scenes, shown in a TV spot, were Bruce was walking with a cane which could just be from a bane beating rather than a recovering spine.

Another interesting part in the clip shows Batman and Catwoman working together. Selina is a really interesting character and every time more footage of her is realised it gets easier to see Christopher Nolan chose Anne Hathaway for the role. The movie version seems to be close to the way she was portrayed in her early appearances and it’s nice to see that she has a criminal record and isn’t just going to run around fighting crime with Batman the entire movie.

The Dark Knight Rises will hit cinemas hard on the 20th of July with a massive running time of two hours and forty five minutes.

What do you think? Are you excited about the final film in Nolan’s Batman series? Do you think that the Lazarus Pit will appear in the film? Would you like the series to continue? Let me know by voting and leaving a comment below. Also, don’t forget to subscribe and click the like button.

I’ve been crazy busy over the last few weeks with Masters applications, finale assignments and exam preparation, my exams start next week, but don’t be fooled by my recent neglected. I have been keeping an eye out for stuff that truly warranted a break from working and now I’ve found one.

The latest trailer for the upcoming Batman finale has been released by Warner Bros and can now been seen online, check it out below. Since I am currently skiving off studying, I can’t spend as long as I’d like writing about it, but I do want to say a few points that came to mind.

Selina Kyle, Catwoman, seems to be on Batman’s side for a large portion of the movie possibly betraying him; hopefully she’s not just a one-time thief turned pseudo-Robin. She also fears Bane, which may be a reason to betray Batman.

Bane speaks perfectly clear and not muttered.

There is so much more I’d like to get into, but at the moment I don’t have time so please check it out below and leave a comment to discuss.

The Dark Knight Rises is one of the most anticipated films of 2012 and now, thanks to Entertainment Weekly, we have some new images to keep us interested.

The pictures show a new, upgraded, Batman suit and a small glance at were its stored, the Batcave. They also give a really good look at bane who is fighting with Batman in one of the pictures. In another picture Gordon is seen backed against a wall holding a gun, possibly about to experience whatever it is that sends him to the hospital.

The pictures look pretty impressive, but it’ll mean nothing if we can’t understand Bane. Personally, I never saw a big problem with him, but a lot of people did and numerous comments have been released, from people involved in with film, saying not to worry. Despite rumours to the contrary, Writer, Jonathan Nolan, has said that they will not have to do voiceovers and that when fans see more they will have no problem understanding him.

What do you think? Have these pictures got your mind on the plot? Do you like the new Batman suit? Are you planning on seeing the movie when it comes out in July? Let me know by voting and leaving a comment below. Also don’t forget to subscribe/follow and click the like button, but only if you like it don’t lie to me.

A second, more detailed, trailer for The Dark Knight Rises has hit the web and, among the positive comments, there are some negatives to be pointed out. Does this mean that Nolan will fail to top the hugely successful second film?

There is no doubt that the latest Batman film will top the box office when it comes out, but are fans going to be satisfied with this ‘epic’ conclusion? As a Batman (and Christopher Nolan) fan, I hope so. However, The Dark Knight was done so well that it’s going to be hard to top and I’m not sure if any of the villains in The Dark Knight Rises will be able to compare to Heath Ledger as The Joker.

Also, some of the things from the trailer were a little, how do I put it, odd. At one point a football pitch collapses into a big crater, which just seemed a little too Final Destination. Then there is the random futuristic flying thing. If I’m completely honest, that just seemed like it was in the wrong movie, like a Michael Bay leftover or something. I do want to be wrong here, I hope that when seen in proper context these things fit in perfectly with the tone, and the world, of the series.

It’s not all bad; there were things I liked too. After seeing the trailer I am more confident in Anne Hathaway playing Catwoman. Though you don’t actually see her as Catwoman, she does have a scene where she warns Bruce Wayne of the impending chaos. Bane also seems pretty cool and at one point it looks as though he was defeated Wayne and say ‘when Gotham is ashes, you have my permission to die’. So I’m pretty sure both Catwoman and Bane no that Bruce Wayne is Batman, probably after discovering it throughout the film.

This film takes place eight years after its predecessor. The people of Gotham have recovered from The Joker’s attacks and now the city is relatively peaceful. There has been no need for Batman, who had become an outlaw after taking the blame for Harvey Dent. Now Batman must return to prevent Gotham once again falling into the hands of the criminals.

Watch the trailer and let me know what you think? Do you agree/disagree with the points I’ve made? Are there other things you did/didn’t like about the trailer? Overall did you think it was good or bad? Let me know by voting and leaving a comment below. Also don’t forget to subscribe/follow and click the like button. If you want news on future reviews and projects follow me on twitter https://twitter.com/#!/AdamODwyer1.

The Dark Knight Rises is one of the most anticipated films of 2012. Fans are curious about how the franchise will end and the latest poster may be hinting at a grim conclusion.

The poster shows Bane walking away from a broken Batman helmet. While it may not mean anything, it immediately brings up the possibility that the series could break with tradition and end with the death of a hero. In the comic world, Bane, at one point, broke Batman’s back. For a while people suspected that this comic, The Man that Broke the Bat, was one of the many that inspired the movie. Broken helmet = broken bat? Then there’s the very real possibility that it’s simply an ad campaign. Think about it, how can you get emotionally invested in a character that you know is in no real danger?

For me this series has always been about taking Batman to that dark place, the place he should be, and just exploring that uncensored. It would be disappointing if Christopher Nolan went for the standard ending. That doesn’t mean I’d feel let down if Batman lives, I’ll be happy as long as they don’t keep him alive just because he’s Batman. He has to earn it.

What do you think? Do you think that the poster is just a marketing ploy? Are you excited about the film? Would you like a dark ending for the franchise? Let me know by voting and leaving a comment below. Also don’t forget to subscribe/follow and click the like button. If you want more information and details on upcoming reviews and projects then feel free to add me on twitter https://twitter.com/#!/AdamODwyer1, right now I have no followers so be the first.

The Dark Knight Rises will be released in July 2012, a full four years after The Dark Knight which came out in July 2008, but the events of the film are set eight years after those of The Dark Knight.

As fans impatiently wait to see how Christopher Nolan’s Batman series comes to an end, they can count themselves lucky that they don’t actually have to wait the extra four years. The story follows Bruce Wayne as he faces his biggest enemy yet, in physical size at least. The enemy I’m referring to is of course the loss of Rachel and his parents, oh and then there’s Bane and Cat Woman who will also be making appearances. Seriously though, the Batman persona has always been about avenging the loss of his parents, seems like therapy would have been easier. If he finally faces these issues, will he hang up his cape? It is the finally movie in the franchise after all.

Also recently, an outdoor fight scene between Bane and Batman was shot in New York, set in a blizzard. Tom Hardy, the actor playing Bane, said the fight was so overwhelming to shoot, as there were a thousand extras and it was hard to tell which where the stuntmen he was supposed to attack. Another possible ending would be the ‘man that broke the bat’ storyline, were Bane puts Batman in a wheelchair by snapping his back. I’ve said it before but I really think this is a possibility, it doesn’t have to be depressing he could go on to defeat Bane using cleverly placed banana peels near the edge of cliffs. Okay, so there may be a few holes in that theory.

Either way the series is coming to an end and it’s sure to go out with a bang, but I have to ask; why eight years? Why not four? Four makes more sense, so there has to be a reason that it’s eight. What do you think? Should Batman go to therapy? Will Bane put him in a wheelchair? How do you think the series should end? Let me know by voting and leaving a comment below. Also don’t forget to subscribe/follow and click the like button.